AN: I've added a list of summaries for each story at the beginning of Chapter 1.

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Aspirant Harry Potter


Harry Potter whilst fighting through a period of depression after the death of his godfather chances upon the book 'Space Marine'. He decides to use it an inspiration in an effort to help him go down fighting and hopefully take his enemies down with him.


Harry slouched in a comfortable chair. His head lolling on its side as he stared at the ceiling, a half forgotten book hanging from his limp left hand. He could feel the presence of the book but he couldn't even remember the title or what it was about. It wasn't important. His mind was a long way away in a building far below the ground. He watched his friends falling, Ginny white faced and unable to walk, Neville his face covered in blood, Ron thrashing as he suffocated, Luna crashing into a desk and sliding out of sight and Hermione. Hermione laying too still on the floor. Then he watched Sirius falling backwards and out of sight. He regretted not following Sirius in.

He remembered the pain as Voldemort fought for control of his body, again another oppoertunity to die that he missed. Dumbledore could have killed him and maybe taken Voldemort out at the same time. It wuold have been a good time to die. That would have been preferable to learning all that Dumbledore had been keeping from him. Secrets that had led Sirius' death. Secrets that had led to his friends almost being killed. Secrets. So many secrets. Harry wondered just how many other secrets was Dumbledore keeping from him.

Harry wanted to die but the thoughts of suicide just felt wrong. He wish he could have died in the battle. Died fighting Voldemort. Died taking him down. Maybe if he still had access to a time turned he could go fight that battle properly. Push Sirius out of the way and go through that archway in his place.

His eyes flickered to the skylight. It was still bright outside and he didn't want to go back to his uncle and aunt's house yet. Whilst they hadn't been as nasty as previous summers he still wanted nothing to do with them. He had no pleasant memories with them. So he continued to stare at the wall and his mind started wandering back to the Ministry of Magic. Thankfully the library wouldn't close for awhile yet.

He grunted and finally glanced at the book he was holding. Some magical story about some kids. He couldn't even recall the pages that he had read. He dropped it on the table. He didn't want anything that reminded him of anything to do with his life. He walked over to the trolley of unsorted books and picked up the first thing that looked like non magical fiction - Space Marine.

Surprisingly Harry found it an engrossing read. Here was a boy, in a shitty situation with shitty options taking matters into his own hands. Joining up with strong powerful soldiers to fight a real war against a real enemy. There was no pussy footing around. These people meant business. The bad guys didn't get a slap on their wrists and sent to their room or pay a fine and avoid jail. No bullets and blades took care of them and they didn't get back up.

Harry's gaze returned to the ceiling as his mind considered what he knew about the military forces. Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Forces. There were options but he couldn't imagine that any could provide him an escape from his current life. He was pretty sure you needed to be older and they wouldn't be able prevent Dumbledore or his minions just coming and collecting him. It was a sad fact that the only military force that could have been effective was under the control of the Ministry of Magic. He had once thought an Auror would be a good job for him but seeing who they reported to, it no longer seemed such a great choice.

Sighing, he lost himself in the book once more. But all too soon he was nearing the end of the last chapter. Lexandro was alone. Just as Harry was alone. Harry was a little shocked when he read how Lex stripped the flesh from his own hand and carved the names of the fallen into his own bone. That was true dedication. Harry stared at his own hand and imagined the bones within it. Could he do such a thing? What would he carve on his bones if he did? Maybe the names of his parents and Sirius. Maybe the answers to a test. Though it'd be kinda hard to check them. Harry grinned at that crazy little thought. Maybe some of those runes Hermione was always going on about. Harry thoughts froze. Was that possible?

He remembered Bill talking about Egyptian rune traps that exploded. Maybe he could write those on his bones and when Voldemort finally came for him Harry could blow them all up in a massive fireball that would make a Space Marine proud. Then he could finally be with his parents and Sirius and no one could say he was a coward. He could do his so called duty to the wizarding world and be rid of it all in one glorious finale. He could take them all with him. Voldemort, Pettigrew, Bellatrix, Malfoy, Macnair, Nott, all of them.

He cursed quietly as he wondered why hadn't he taken Runes with Hermione instead of Divination. Then the answer came to him. Because of Ron, that was why. Because Ron wanted to do whatever was easiest and Harry hadn't wanted to disappoint his first and best friend. He recalled Ron's face in agony. Well he'd certainly failed at that.

Well, it was too late to start learning Runes now. He'd just have to make do with whatever he could find in books. Hogwarts would have to wait till September but that was still three months away. Diagon Alley might be okay though he wondered what kind of books he could get at Flourish and Blotts, Bill had said something about how the best Runes schemes were usually closely guarded secrets. Knockturn Alley would probably be better but he still would have to get there and it wasn't like he wouldn't be instantly noticed.

He needed another source. Then he remembered Sirius talking about all the dark books in the Black Library. He hadn't mentioned books on runes but maybe. He hoped the Order hadn't taken them all. Would they have alredy started looting Sirius's belongings? Maybe Kreacher would stop them. Harry narrowed his eyes. Could Kreacher help him. Sirius had told the elf to do what Harry told him. Would that still hold true after Sirius had died? Only one way to find out.

Harry checked out the book. He had finished it, but maybe he could read it again as a distraction.

He walked around the Library building and into the darkest part of the carpark. He wasn't looking forward to this. Kreacher was partly responsible for the death of his godfather. Harry gritted his teeth. Hopefully he could arrange it so that he could take him out with him as well.

"Kreacher."

There was a loud crack and Kreacher appeared. He was still dressed in filthy rags and was no less filthy himself.

The house elf opened his mouth but Harry was ready as he didn't want to make too much noise.

"Quiet Kreacher."

The house-elf shut his mouth and his hands shoot up to grasp his throat. It was like he was fighting himself to try to not talk and to talk at the same time. It was rather off putting.

"Stop that carry on. Can't you act properly?"

Kreacher seemed to shake for a moment before with what seemed like a great effort he stood up straight and bowed to Harry. In an almost whisper he uttered, "Yes Master. What is your wish?"

Harry narrowed his eyes, "Why did you call me Master Kreacher?"

Kreacher screwed up his face and grimaced but still answered, "My old master left Harry Potter everything he owned. When the will was read you became my Master."

Harry blinked and quickly lowered himself to sit on the cold cement before he fell over. Sirius had left him everything including Kreacher. Did that include Grimmauld Place and the Black Library? Why on earth didn't Dumbledore tell him and when was the will read?

"Kreacher, when was Sirius's will read?"

Kreacher blinked once, "A week ago Master."

Harry swore lightly, "and do you know who was there?"

Kreacher nodded, "Albus Dumbledore, Narcissa Black, Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, Master."

"Those buggers, and they didn't even tell me. So does that mean I own Grimmauld Place?"

Kreacher nodded, "Yes Master."

"Can you take me there?"

Kreacher nodded, "Yes Master. Though I can only take you to the front door as you need to make yourself known to the wards as they went into lockdown when Sirius died."

Harry thought about that for a moment trying to work out if there was any reason why he couldn't just live there. Finally he decided to just ask Kreacher, "Is there any reason why I can't live there? Can anyone else enter the place?"

Kreacher shook his head, "Not that I know of Master. No one but you and those given permission can enter."

"Right. I am going back to my relatives. I want you to take all my belongings from there to Grimmauld place and I want you to look after them properly. I want nothing damaged, lost or otherwise treated improperly. Then once I have said my goodbyes I want you to take me there too. But I don't want anyone to see you or know that you have been there. Can you do that?"

After Kreacher nodded, Harry had the house elf take him back to his room. Kreacher instantly started packing all his belongings into his trunk. Harry watched suspiciously but for some reason Kreacher seemed to be acting almost normally now. Only after a few minutes Kreacher had vanished and his room looked the most empty it had ever done. Hoping that he would find all his belongings in good order he thought about what story he would tell his relatives. He knew it wouldn't take long for whatever he told them to reach Dumbledore's ears so it had to be good.

After a while he decided he really didn't want to see them again so he quietly went downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen before retreating back to his room.

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Dear Uncle Vernon / Aunt Petunia,

I have discovered that I have a distant cousin who lives in Germany. He is keen to meet me and has offered me a place to stay for the next few weeks. As I am hoping that I will be able to stay with my friends after my return I have packed all my belongings and will be taking them with me. He has provided transport of the type you do not like so I will leave the house before I use it.

As always I will stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter breaks and I will not require you to take me to the train on the 1st of September so the next we will see each other will be at the end of the next school year unless I can make alternate arrangements.

Regards,
Harry J. Potter

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Harry looked down at the letter with satisfaction. He thought there was enough misleading clues there to at least put them off the trail for a while.

"Kreacher."

There was the faintest of pops before Kreacher appeared. Harry's mouth dropped open. Kreacher was now wearing a simple grey toga and had seemingly been in the process of cleaning himself as about half his face was mostly free of dirt.

"What is you wish, Master?"

"That's much better Kreacher. Why were you so dirty before?"

"Old Master told me to obey old Mistress's painting. She told me that I shouldn't look better than the house and that I was not to clean the house whilst her traitor son was still alive."

Harry shook his head, "Well as your new master I command you that you are not to obey anyone's command's but my own."

Kreacher bowed his head, "Yes Master. Do you wish me to take you to your Grimmauld house now?"

This also gave Harry pause, "I have more than one house?"

Kreacher nodded, "Yes Master. Old Master owned a number of properties and I believe that you also owned a number of properties."

Harry shook himself. This was a day of revelations, "Okay. I'll ask you about them later but for right now please take me to Grimmauld Place."

With a nod Kreacher took hold of Harry's arm and with a pop they were gone.


Harry appeared on the front door step of Grimmauld Place at a slight angle and almost fell but Kreacher's grip on his arm tightened fractional and pulled him back upright. For all that he was small and rather old Kreature still had a lot of strength in his hands and arms.

"Thanks Kreacher"

Kreacher bowed his head and pointed at the middle of the door as he handed Harry a sharp little knife, "Master, you need to cut you wand hand and then place it there, then declare your name and that you now own this building. It'll pull magic from you to help power the wards. Pull your hand back when you have given as much as you want."

Harry barely noticed the pain as he cut his palm open, "The more magic the strong right?"

Kreacher nodded, "Yes Master"

Harry placed his bloodied hand on the middle of the door. It felt very cold against his wet hand.

"I Harry James Potter declare that this building now belongs to me." It wasn't quite the right wording but it seemed to work.

Harry felt a wave of strong magic wash over him. He felt as if a door had been opened up in this mind. He was connected to the whole house and could feel each room and each ward protecting the house. He could also feel the fidelius surrounding and protecting the house. He had a sense that it might be possible to break it at this point but he had no intention of trying. Doing so would likely let Dumbledore know he was there and it wasn't as if they could enter the property. Any additional protection was welcome. Harry chose to leave almost all the lockdown wards in place. No floo. No portkeys. No apparition from inside, though he did allow apparitions to the backyard and allowed house elf teleportation though he restricted it to Kreacher only. He momentarily thought of Dobby but who knew what spells or control Dumbledore now had on his little friend.

He had barely finished removing all the names from the access list, except his, when the feel of the magic changed. The tide had shifted and magic was now flowing from him. He could feel the wards strengthening and his magic added to them. He could also feel the contributions from past Blacks. Sirius had only been able to add a small amount, likely still weakened by his stay in Azkaban. Harry shook himself as he tried not to dwell on the harsh hand his godfather had been dealt. He could also feel other contributions though he was unable to out names to the individual contributors. Their magic was fading. Overall the wards were the weakest they had been since the house was first built so Harry let the magic flow out as fast as the house wanted. He could feel charms built into the house reenergise as his magic touched them. He felt the connection that gave strength to Kreacher and though he didn't trust the house elf he did need him so he let more magic flow along that connection. He started feeling a little faint but knew instinctively that the magic he gave the house today was the most important so he endured and continued to let the magic flow. He remembered casting the Patronus to save Sirius and decided he would put no less into avenging him and he gritted his teeth as pain started to replace the faintness, he now was helping to push magic into the house. He heard a small voice calling from a long way away. Was that Sirius? No Sirius would not call him master. It was Kreacher. He pulled his hand off the door and looked down at the elf. He wanted to ask what the elf wanted but everything was fading away and he was falling.

He woke groggily to a small hand pushing a vial into his hand. "You need to drink this Master."

Harry automatically took it and lifted it to his lips. Then paused. A small question hanging in the air. He felt himself fading again but forced himself to ask, "Is it safe?"

Kreacher's voice came from far away, "Yes Master. It's safe to drink. You need it." The small hand helped Harry move the vial to his lips. Harry drank and everything faded away again.

The next time Harry awoke there was another vial. Harry didn't ask about it. He just drank it and went back to sleep. This happened two more times before Harry was able to wake properly and sit up.

"What happened?"

"Master gave too much magic. You were unwell. I gave you nutritional potions so you didn't need water and food but you are still not well. You can get up but shouldn't use magic yet."

Harry groaned as he forced his protesting legs to swing off the bed, "How long?"

Kreacher looked at the floor, "Sorry Master. I do not know. I can tell when you magic has recovered but not how long till."

Harry sighed, "No matter. I need to do research first anyhow. Starting with learning everything I can about runes, bones and healing. Any ideas Kreacher?"

Kreacher nodded, "Yes Master. I can show you how old old master used to do research. But would Young Master like to eat first?"


Harry discovered he had been unconscious for two days but Kreacher had been far from idle during that time. The Weasleys and the Order had put in a good effort cleaning the house but it was nothing compared to what Kreacher had achieved in the last two days. The place looked brand new. The colours were the same but the lighting was bright enough that it wasn't depressing any more. Harry discovered that Kreacher had moved all the items that he didn't think Harry would approve of to a pair of spare rooms. Harry was glad to see the portrait of Sirius's mother was one of those things moved. It was replaced by a picture of a wind blown castle standing tall above a dark sea.

Kreacher had also introduced him to the master study which he had filled with portraits of past Blacks. Harry found the idea of having a bunch of dead people provide advice on runes a tad strange but it was effective.

He had a plan now. The explosive rune idea was progressing very slowly but after having Kreature purchase everything he could find related to Space Marines, how Kreacher had purchased muggle books Harry didn't want to ask, Harry was able to put together a list of changes Aspirants to the marines had to go through to become battle ready.

His list of 17 rune schemes hadn't been as hard to create as he thought. He knew that realistically he should be checking each rune scheme with arithmancy and all sorts of rules but he had neither the time nor knowledge to do so. So he had taken the best sounding translations and runes from the advice the portraits had given and the books from the Black library and called them done. The more cautious portraits had taken great offense at his Gryffindorish behaviour.

As for the plan to strip the flesh and then regrow it, he was quickly shot down. But eventually, and surprisingly with Kreachers help Harry had discovered and decided to go with ahead with a method using the switching spell, marbles transfigured into bones and a large supply of healing potions.

The procedure was to numb the body part using charms, use switching spell to replace the bone with a transfigured copy, engrave the runes on the bone, switch it back, drink the healing potions and then spend a few hours in agony as the body adjusted to having a bone torn from it and then replaced. Sadly for the healing part no numbing charm or pain reducing potion would work due to the addition of the runes and the need for the healing potions to properly reattach the bone.


Harry stood in his study carefully reviewing the first of the bones he would engrave. Over and over he had engraved them into transfigured bone until he was confident he could engrave them properly. Sadly he still barely understood the full meanings though the translations at least sounded right.

He looked over the full size skeleton with all the runes engraved. It was strange looking at your own skeleton or at least a perfect replica. Every large bone had at minimum four rune schemes added to it. At least some groups of smaller bones he could do together. How long if would take to do every single bone individually Harry didn't even want to guess.

He had decided to start with his left hand determining that if things went wrong it was the least critical body part.

For his hand bones he had chosen four rune schemes he had named after the Warhammer implants he had based them on, Ossmodula; to increase bone strength, Biscopea; to increase muscle strength, Melanchrome; to protect and toughen skin, and finally Mucranoid; to protect against extremes of heat and cold.

In all twenty three runes per bone or bone group. A total of one hundred and sixty three runes for just one hand. His best practice run had him do them in just under four minutes though he expected that the actual time it would take much longer as it would include time charging the runes. He had only a small window after the charging began to cast the switching spell.

Kreacher had helped Harry convert one of the many bedrooms to a room suitable for the procedure. A hundred potions, most purchased already premade from Diagon alley by Kreacher. Some from those the order had left behind and a few he had made himself were shelved nearby. Harry's inscribed skeleton stood nearby as did pages of notes and relevant books. On a draftsman's easel stood large copies of the runes he needed. A desk and comfortable chair stood ready for the actual engraving and a bed close by for recovery.

Harry had already prepared the transfigured copies of his hand bones a few days ago and they sat resting in a dish of weak stasis potion on the desk. He took a deep breath, triple checked his enchanted engraving blade and then cast the numbing charm. After confirming that the numbing spell had worked he cast the switching spell. Even though he expected it he was surprised that he didn't feel anything when the pure white bones were replaced with real bones. He blinked a few times till he convinced himself that he really was looking at bones that a moment ago were in his left hand. Then he got to work.

Harry was grateful that Kreacher kept the glass of chilled water topped up. The room wasn't hot but inscribing and charging even a dozen runes was sweaty work. By the time he hit fifty runes Kreacher had started mopping his forehead with a damp cloth. After a hundred Kreacher provided a half strength pepper up potion. Where he had finished and cast the final switching spell Kreacher had to almost carry Harry to the bed before feeding him the prepared healing potions. It was seconds later that the pain began. It wasn't as bad as skele-gro and with the potions he only had to endure it for a short time before he fell asleep to dream of runes.

Hunger woke him up and within a few minutes he was eating a massive breakfast prepared by Kreacher. Once Harry had taught Kreacher what he liked there had been no stopping the house elf from experimenting and improving on the recipes. By midday Harry was keen to start the next limb but was forcing himself to wait till he could tell if the runes he had carved were successful.

It was the following evening when he was finally sure that nothing terrible had happened. The hand felt fine. Was definitely stronger and more resistant to knife cuts. Harry didn't know how to test it anymore than that fror the moment, and he didn't want to wait till the runes were all fully charged. He was too impatient for anymore testing so he moved onto his feet. This time he decided to do both together since he was only doing half the total runes per foot. This set took less time and took only minimal rest before he started on his limbs. Bravely, or foolishly, he undertook doing both legs and his left arm in one go. They took a little longer since the runes were larger but very little extra power. Larger bones were easier to charge than lots of small bones. Recovery however took longer. Harry was out of action for three days after that set. Still he was satisfied that nothing overt had gone wrong. They only needed to last long enough for him to deal with the Voldemort and the Death Eaters, he didn't care what happened afterwards as by that time he'd be beyond caring.

It was during that time that he decided that he would do his skull and backbone in multiple stages. He would do the same four sets of runes everywhere before he moved on to the more advanced runes. Again this happened without significant complication. Though twice Kreacher had to prevent him pushing himself too far too fast.

Harry took a few days after the last recovery period to sit back and relax. He could feel and see changes now. He wasn't just stronger. He was getting bigger and he couldn't work out why. He expected the bones to get thicker but not longer. Then again most of the runes he used could be translated in any number of ways. He once again regretted not taking arithmancy at Hogwarts.

Still not detecting anything untoward apart from the remnants of a massive headache Harry prepared for his most ambitious task yet. Inscribing his backbone with all new runes. He had already inscribed Ossmodula, Biscopea, Melanchrome and Mucranoid. Now it was time to add six more: Heart; to strengthen and enlarge his heart. Sadly he couldn't work out a rune scheme to add in an actual second heart. Heamastamen; to improve his blood, Larraman; to allow his body to heal quicker, Preomnor; to help digestion and protect against ingested poisons, Omophagea; to learn from eating, Harry had a lot of trouble working out the exact meaning of this one and was least sure of what it would actually do, Multi-lung; to allow him to breath poison or water, and Oolitic; poison immunity. Each rune would be only inscribed once, but would require a lot more individual power to charge and most consisted of over twenty individual runes.

By this time Harry had thought he had got quite used to the whole procedure and recovery. However he was totally unprepared for the day and a half of high fevers, throwing up, shaking and shivering that he experienced. He shook so much that Kreacher had to take him and the mattress of the bed and put it on the ground to prevent him hurting himself when he bounced himself off the mattress. Once he had recovered enough to eat, he noticed faint and strange sensations from each meal. However he couldn't detect any other change from the new runes. Still his body had continued to grow and strengthen. He was now at least a foot taller than he had been. He hadn't paid attention to his height before but now he was six foot six, still growing and built as solidly as anyone he had ever met. Harry was rather pleased he hadn't actually needed to do any exercise to get his rather impressive figure. His only concern was that it was way too noticeable.

Harry took another day off inscribing runes and returned to his normal alternative activity which was studying and practising curses and jinxes. He had decided what he really only needed a dozen or so curses that he could cast fast and hard and were hard to defend against. So he had developed a short list that he practiced over and over again.

After a lovely pizza, the new latest addition to Kreature's repertoire, Harry sat down for his last planned procedure. To add the skull specific runes. Catalepsean; to reduce his need for sleep, Occulobe; to improve vision and see in the dark, Lyman; to improve balance and improve hearing, Sus-an; to allow hibernation and stasis, since suspended animation didn't seem to translate to runes so that was the closest thing he could find, and finally, Neuroglottis; to improve taste.

As he lay in bed, reading and recovering from the latest operation his mind recalled his shouted conversation with Dumbledore only two months ago. He remembered yelling how he didn't want to be human. He guessed he was well on his way to fulfilling that desire. His growth was slowing but he fully expected to be seven foot by the time it finished. At least he wasn't planning to go back to Hogwarts. There must be another way to track down the death eaters other than hanging around at school waiting for them to strike. He just had to work out what it was.


Well that's the basis of the plot bunny down. Definitely a lot longer than what I thought it would be. Where would it go from here? Well next would be the creation of a glamour rune to get him by at school as in the end Hogwarts is the only place that Harry really knows. Harry would start doing major damage to the death eaters and like minded individuals in the school depending on Dumbledore's 'always give them a second chance' to get by the few times he's the prime suspect.

Next would be the creation of the armour. Powered by runes, able to take a pile of damage and pretty much able to ignore the unforgivables but still partially vulnerable to blasting curses and the like. Picture a space marine wielding a glowing magical blade and wielding a staff which is flinging out cutting and blasting curses going up against trolls, giants, vampires and the like. Lots of dark creatures.

Then on to recruiting and bringing others into the fold. Only a few would have the correct mind set. Probably only Neville and Dean from his year and then a bunch of younger halfbloods and muggleborns. Oaths to the order based on what Harry thinks should be the goal of the marines. Where the girls fit I'm not sure. There is no reason why the runes wouldn't work on them if they so chose.

Source for implants wh40 klexicanum com/wiki/Creation_of_a_Space_Marine